| Scientific Name | Cissus cactiformis Gilg | Higher Classification | Dicotyledons | Family | VITACEAE | Synonyms | Cissus succulenta (Galpin) Burtt Davy, Cissus tetragona Harv., Vitis succulenta Galpin | Common Names | Cactus Vine (e) |
National Status | Status and Criteria | Least Concern | Assessment Date | 2017/10/05 | Assessor(s) | L. von Staden | Justification | Cissus cactiformis is a widespread species, but is known from only a few, scattered records. It may be overlooked due to taxonomic problems, and is not suspected to be rare or in danger of extinction. |
Distribution | Endemism | Not endemic to South Africa | Provincial distribution | KwaZulu-Natal, Limpopo, Mpumalanga | Range | Its distribution is uncertain. Schmidt et al. (2002) indicate scattered records across the Limpopo and Mpumalanga Lowveld and Sekhukhuneland. According to Gilg and Brandt (1912) C. cactiformis occurs in the northern provinces of South Africa, Namibia and Somalia, but Burtt Davy (1932) considers the tropical African form of C. cactiformis distinct from plants from southern Africa, and refers to the South African plants as C. succulentus. Burtt Davy suggests that the species is restricted to the Lowveld. Compton (1976) records C. succulentus from the Lebombo Mountains in Swaziland. Records in the National Herbarium from Zululand and Maputaland may also be this species. |
Habitat and Ecology | Major system | Terrestrial | Major habitats | Limpopo Sweet Bushveld, Pilanesberg Mountain Bushveld, Dwarsberg-Swartruggens Mountain Bushveld, Sekhukhune Mountain Bushveld, Ohrigstad Mountain Bushveld, Poung Dolomite Mountain Bushveld, Mamabolo Mountain Bushveld, Polokwane Plateau Bushveld, Maputaland Coastal Belt, Makhado Sweet Bushveld, Malelane Mountain Bushveld, Waterberg Mountain Bushveld, Loskop Mountain Bushveld, Andesite Mountain Bushveld, Gauteng Shale Mountain Bushveld, KwaZulu-Natal Coastal Belt Thornveld, KwaZulu-Natal Coastal Belt Grassland, Maputaland Wooded Grassland, Soutpansberg Mountain Bushveld, Granite Lowveld, Thukela Valley Bushveld, Phalaborwa-Timbavati Mopaneveld, Lowveld Rugged Mopaneveld, Tsende Mopaneveld, Mopane Basalt Shrubland, Limpopo Ridge Bushveld, Musina Mopane Bushveld, Norite Koppies Bushveld, Delagoa Lowveld, Gold Reef Mountain Bushveld, Zululand Lowveld, Northern Zululand Sourveld, Makatini Clay Thicket, Western Maputaland Clay Bushveld, Southern Lebombo Bushveld, Northern Lebombo Bushveld, Kaalrug Mountain Bushveld, Eastern Valley Bushveld, Tshokwane-Hlane Basalt Lowveld | Description | It occurs in rocky places in bushveld. |
Population | Population trend | Unknown |
Notes | | Retief and Herman (1997) and Wild and Drummond (1966) consider C. cactiformis insufficiently distinct from the widespread and common C. quadrangularis. Schmidt et al. (2002) point out differences between the two species, but do not describe the distribution range of C. cactiformis. Cissus in South Africa is in need of taxonomic revision. |
Assessment History |
Taxon assessed |
Status and Criteria |
Citation/Red List version | | Cissus cactiformis Gilg | Least Concern | Raimondo et al. (2009) | |
Bibliography | Burtt Davy, J. 1932. A manual of the flowering plants and ferns of the Transvaal with Swaziland, South Africa. Part II. Malvaceae-Umbelliferae. Longmans, Green & Co., London.
Compton, R.H. 1976. The flora of Swaziland. Journal of South African Botany Supplement 11:259-264.
Gilg, E. and Brandt, M. 1912. Vitaceae africanae. Botanische Jahrbücher für Systematik 46:415-557.
Raimondo, D., von Staden, L., Foden, W., Victor, J.E., Helme, N.A., Turner, R.C., Kamundi, D.A. and Manyama, P.A. 2009. Red List of South African Plants. Strelitzia 25. South African National Biodiversity Institute, Pretoria.
Retief, E. and Herman, P.P.J. 1997. Plants of the northern provinces of South Africa: keys and diagnostic characters. Strelitzia 6. National Botanical Institute, Pretoria.
Schmidt, E., Lotter, M. and McCleland, W. 2002. Trees and shrubs of Mpumalanga and Kruger National Park. Jacana, Johannesburg.
Wild, H. and Drummond, R.B. 1966. Vitaceae. In: A.W. Exell, A. Fernandes and H. Wild (eds). Flora Zambesiaca 2 (Part 2):439-492. Crown Agents for Oversea Governments and Administrations, London.
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Citation | | von Staden, L. 2017. Cissus cactiformis Gilg. National Assessment: Red List of South African Plants version . Accessed on 2025/04/14 |
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